Frequency synthesizer for a transmitter-receiver

ABSTRACT

A frequency synthesizer for a transmitter-receiver includes a variable frequency divider which is programmed by coded information supplied by a display device through a code conversion circuit constituted by memories, the contents of said memories not utilized for programming the divider being utilized for programming the control information which permits, through suitable decoder circuits, the direct control of the devices producing the different functions of the transmitter-receiver.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 419,096, filed Sept. 16, 1982 now abandoned.

The invention relates to an arrangement for managing the frequency control information of a transmitter-receiver station with a frequency synthesizer, the phase-locked loop of the synthesizer comprising, inter alia, an oscillator arrangement comprising several controllabe oscillators and a variable frequency divider which receives, in the form of a digital code, the information of the displayed frequency supplied in the form of another digital code by a frequency display device through a code conversion circuit constituted by memories, the variable frequency divider comprising the so-called division chain mainly composed of a first programmable counter associated with a first and a second memory of the code conversion circuit and of a divide-by-10 or divide-by-11 circuit controlled either by a second or by a third programmable counter, the second and third programmable counters being associated with a third and a fourth memory, respectively, of the code conversion circuit.

In a transmitter-receiver station, the reception and transmission frequencies (which may be different) are determined by the frequency synthesizer in the case of a multi-channel device and by the automatic tuning devices, mainly those of the receiver.

The management of the control information of the synthesizer and of the tuning devices requires that the information emitted by the control members at the disposal of the operator is handled so that their action results in that only the required functions are obtained.

According to the prior art, the frequency control device at the disposal of the operator controls both the frequency synthesizer and a combinative logic circuit.

The frequency synthesizer produces the pilot signals of transmission in the transmitter mode and of the local oscillator in the receiver mode at the frequencies determined by the frequency display and by the transmitter-receiver information (in an alternating manner).

The combinative logic circuit handles the control information of the other members of the transmitter-receiver station.

This mode of control, by a combinative logic circuit, is complex and results in an increase of the bulk and the cost-price of the transmitter-receiver assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention has for its object to provide a simpler arrangement for handling said control information, characterized in that the contents of said memories not utilized for programming said counters are also utilized for programming the control information, by means of which a direct control through suitable decoder circuits of the devices can be obtained which produce the different functions of the transmitter-receiver station, especially the selection of the filters corresponding to the sub-frequency ranges of the receiver, the selection of said controllable oscillators and the handling of the information of prohibited frequencies.

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of example, permits of understanding more clearly how the invention can be realized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows the principal circuit diagram of the frequency synthesizer in which memories are utilized for conversion between the display code and the control of the programmable counters.

FIG. 2 shows the structure of the variable frequency divider.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the synthesizer for operation of the transmitter at the frequency of 276.250 MHz.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows the principal circuit diagram of the frequency synthesizer with so-called indirect synthesis with digital control, the phase-locked loop of which comprises the oscillator arrangement 1 comprising several controllable oscillators (for explanation of the operation, there are assumed to be three oscillators 01, 02 and 03), one of which after selection supplies the output frequency F, a variable frequency divider 2 dividing the frequency F by K, a phase discriminator 3 which receives a reference frequency F_(r) and the divided frequency F/K, a low-pass filter 4 which supplies a frequency control voltage to an input 5 of the selected oscillator. The presence of the filter 4 limits the synchronization surface of the oscillator to a small frequency distance ΔF at which the difference |F_(r) -F/K| must be smaller so that the loop is switched into circuit. The loop is switched into circuit more rapidly due to the presence of a hunting circuit for pre-adjusting the free frequency of the oscillator to a value near the desired output frequency F. This pre-adjustment takes place by means of a counting frequency discriminator 6 which supplies pulses when the distance between F_(r) and F/K is large. These pulses are applied to a counter 7 the content of which is converted into a direct voltage applied to an input 8 of the selected oscillator by means of the digital-to-analogue converter 9. This voltage is abruptly neutralized each time when the counter 7 is automatically reset to its initial position after having reached its final position. When the difference |F_(r) -F/K| becomes smaller than the frequency distance ΔF, the frequency discriminator 6 no longer supplies pulses, the counter 7 no longer advances and the voltage at 8 remains constant, which has the effect that the phase-locked loop is switched out of circuit.

The coded information (for example, according to BCD) supplied by the frequency display device 10 is applied to a code conversion circuit 11 constituted by memories supplying coded information (for example, according to a natural binary code) for controlling the variable frequency divider 2 with the division ratio K corresponding to the displayed frequency.

According to the invention, the coded information present in the memories of the code conversion circuit 11 are also utilized for programming the control information of the different functions of the transmitter-receiver station, inter alia the selection of the oscillators, a decoder circuit 12 transforming the programmed code into a 1-out-of-3 code which can be directly utilized to control said oscillators.

In order to understand the operation of these memories, it is necessary to describe, by means of an example, the operation of the variable frequency divider 2, the circuit diagram of which is shown in FIG. 2 and which serves to supply to the phase comparator 3 a constant frequency equal to the reference frequency, irrespective of the display.

A transmitter-receiver station is considered, which has to cover a range of 225 to 399.975 MHz in steps of 25 kHz both in the transmitter and in the receiver mode with a reference frequency fixed on 0.5 MHz, while it is assumed, for example, that the frequency to be synthesized is 276.450 MHz.

The main part of the variable frequency divider 2 is the division chain 13 comprising the divide-by-two circuit D1, which receives the output frequency information supplied by the oscillator arrangement 1, succeeded by the divide-by-10 or divide-by-11 circuit D2 and by a programmable counter C1 connected to the phase discriminator 3. The divide-by-two circuit D1 permits of obtaining, in the aforementioned frequency range, a simpler realization of the divide-by-10 or divide-by-11 circuit. The counter C1, which has to divide by the number constituted by the digit of the hundreds and the digit of the tens of MHz (in the given example 27), is programmed to the complement of its maximum capacity 63, that is to say 63-27=36.

The command "divide by 10 or by 11" of D2 is given either by a programmable counter C2 or by a programmable counter C3 through an OR-circuit 14.

An adjacent synchronization device 15 ensures the synchronous advancement of the counters C2 and C3 in a manner such that the control information of D2 changes its state at the desired instant taking into account the number of pulses occurring at its output.

The counter C2, which has to count the number constituted by the digit of the units of MHz (in the present example 6), is programmed to the complement of its maximum capacity 14, that is to say 14-6=8.

The counter C3, which has to count the number of steps of 25 kHz contained in the number constituted by the digits of the hundreds, of the tens and of the units of kHz (in the present example 18), can be programmed from 0 to 40 (40 being the number of steps of 25 kHz contained in 1 MHz).

After division by two at the output of D1, in a timer interval of 2 μs, 276.450 pulses on an average at the input of the divide-by-10 or divide-by-11 circuit D2 have to be counted. This can be realized in two stages by the well-known method of the "step behind the decimal point".

At the end of the first stage, D2 receives from C2 the command "divide by 11" and its programming is such that it counts a unit more with respect to the programming of the digit of units of MHz in the counter C2, that is to say 6+1=7. During each cycle of 2 μs, D2 thus divides 7 times by 11 and 20 times by 10. Upon each division by 11 of D2, the pulse occurring at its output causes the counter C2 to advance by one unit by means of the synchronization device 15. When D2 has counted 6 output pulses, C2 has reached the state 14, that is to say its maximum capacity. D2 then divides once more by 11 before it receives from C2 the command "divide by 10". This cycle is repeated 18 times, that is to say until the counter C3, which by means of the synchronization device 15 advances by one unit after each cycle of 2 μs, has reached the state 18.

The second stage begins from the state 19 of C3. D2 receives from C3 the command to count the number of pulses corresponding to the programming of C2, that is to say 6. Thus, during each cycle of 2 μs, D2 divides 6 times by 11 until C2 has reached the state 14 and 21 times by 10. This cycle is repeated 40-18=22 times.

In a total number of 40 cycles of 2 μs, on an average ##EQU1##

After division by 27, the counter C1 supplies at its output 40 pulses in 80 μs, that is to say the reference frequency of 0.5 MHz.

The memories of the code conversion circuit 11 transmit to the counters C1, C2 and C3 the coded pulses corresponding to the value of the frequency to be synthesized.

FIG. 3 shows the code conversion assembly in the case of the transmitter operation at the frequency of 276.450 MHz as well as the use of the memories for programming the different control functions.

The Transmission-Reception information E/R is transmitted simultaneously to four memory circuits M1, M2, M3 and M4 constituting the code conversion circuit 11. The frequency display device 10 supplies a code in BCD for the steps of 10 MHz, 1 MHz, 100 kHz and a natural binary code for the steps of 100 MHz and 25 kHz. The memories M1 to M4 have the function to transcribe the preceding codes into a natural binary code required for the operation of the variable frequency divider 2 described above and to carry out in the receiver mode the arithmetic operations on these codes so that the frequency plane obtained during the operation in the transmitter mode for which the synthesized frequency is identical to the displayed frequency is taken into account.

In the case of operation in the transmitter mode at the frequency of 276.450 MHz, the counter C3 is programmed in a natural binary code directly derived from the display of frequency of 25 kHz (10 in the present example). The memory M4 addressed by the code BCD of the display of the hundreds of kHz (1011 in the present example) transmits to the counter C3 the corresponding natural binary code (0100 in the present example). Thus, the juxtaposition of the codes transmitted to the counter C3 corresponds accurately to the number of steps of 25 kHz contained in the display of the 100 kHz and 25 kHz steps (10010 in the present example).

The memory M3 addressed by the code BCD of the display of the units of MKz (1001 in the present example) is associated with the counter C2 programmed in a natural binary code to the complement of 14 of the digit of the units of MHz (1000 in the present example).

The memories M1 and M2 are addressed by the code BCD of the display of the tens of MHz (1000 in the present example) and by the information of a single digit of the display of the tens of MHz: 0 for 2 hundreds of MHz and for the present example or 1 for 3 hundreds of MHz. The counter C1, which is associated therewith, is programmed in a natural binary code to the complement of 63 of the number constituted by the digit of the hundreds and that of the tens of MHz (100100 in the present example). The content of M1 corresponds to the programming of the four digits of small weight and that of M2 to the programming of the two digits of large weight.

According to the invention, the memories of the code conversion circuit 11 are utilized for programming the control functions of the different members required for the operation of the transmitter-receiver station.

The selection function of the filters corresponding to the subranges of the receiver is ensured by the memory M2. In the considered operating range, the subranges of the receiver are, for example:

1^(st) subrange: 225 to 279.975 MHz to which corresponds the filter F1,

2^(nd) subrange: 280 to 339.975 MHz to which corresponds the filter F2,

3^(rd) subrange: 340 to 399.975 MHz to which corresponds the filter F3.

The two digits of M2 not utilized for programming C1 are utilized for programming the subranges in the following manner:

1^(st) subrange: 0 0;

2^(nd) subrange: 0 1;

3^(rd) subrange: 1 0.

For the present example, the code 0 0 has to be programmed.

A decoder circuit 16 transforms this code into a code 1-out-of-3 which can directly be utilized for controlling the filters of the receiver (filter F1 for the present example).

As indicated above, the oscillators of the synthesizer are selected as a function of the frequency displayed. In the given example, the subranges 0 1, 0 2 and 0 3 of the oscillator arrangement 1 are identical to the subranges of the receiver. Thus, the decoder circuit 12 operates in the same manner as the circuit 16 with the same input information. However, any other combination of subranges is possible as a function of a suitable content of the memory M2 (for the present example, the oscillator 0 1 is selected).

For the transmitter-receiver station given by way of example, it is possible to display frequencies from 200 MHz. Thus, the utilizable range is in fact utilized from 225 MHz. The programming of C1 for the code 1 0 given by M2 includes also the frequencies from 200 to 224 MHz. For the display of these prohibited frequencies, the code 1 1 occurs at the output of M2 instead of the code 1 0, the substitution of 1 for 0 in the second digit of the content of M2 taking place through M3. The NAND circuit 17 then gives a logic information 0.

In the case of operation in the receiver mode, the frequency code supplied by the frequency display device ensures the translation of about the value of the first intermediate frequency (90.5 MHz in the given example) determined by the rejection of the image frequency of the receiver.

For the translation of +90.5 MHz (operation in the supradyne mode) which is effected for a displayed frequency between 225 and 319.975 MHz, a carry should be provided from the step 5 of the range of 100 kHz and should be propagated through the memory M3 at the level of the programming of C2. Thus, for example, if the displayed frequency is 300.5 MHz, the programming of the divider 2 has to correspond to 300.5+90.5=391 MHz, that is to say to a unit higher at the level of C2.

For the translation of -90.5 MHz (operation in the infradyne mode) which is effected for a displayed frequency between 320 and 399.975 MHz, the carry obtained from the steps 5 to 9 of the range of 1 MHz is propagated to C1 and transmitted to the memories M1 and M2 through the decoder circuit 18. Thus, for example, if the display frequency is 329.5 MHz, the programming of the divider 2 has to correspond to 329.5-90.5=239 MHz, which can be written as 22+19+0. Since 19 lies beyond the capacity of C2, a carry of 10 must be propagated to C1 and C2 must be programmed to 14-9=5. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A frequency synthesizer for controlling the operation of a transmitter-receiver, comprising:a phase-locked loop including an oscillator arrangement having a plurality of controllable oscillators, the arrangement having an input and an output, the oscillators having respective inputs connected to the input of the arrangement, a frequency divider having a series of first inputs, a second input and an output, the second input of the divider being connected to the output of the oscillator arrangement, the frequency divider including at least one programmable counter having inputs corresponding to the series of first inputs and having an output corresponding to the output of the divider, a phase discriminator having an input, another input and an output, the input of the discriminator being connected to the output of the divider, the another input of the discriminator being connected to a means for generating a reference frequency, a low pass filter connected to the output of the phase discriminator and to the input of the oscillator arrangement; the synthesizer further comprising a frequency display device having outputs; a code conversion circuit including at least one memory having inputs and first and second outputs, the inputs of the one memory being connected to the outputs of the frequency display device and to receive transmit-receive information, the first outputs of the one memory being connected to the inputs of the programmable counter, the memory including digital contents for selecting one of the controllable oscillators, the second outputs of the memory being arranged for conducting the digital contents; a decoder circuit having inputs and outputs, the outputs of the decoder circuit being connected to respective oscillators of the oscillator arrangement, the inputs of the decoder circuit being connected to the second outputs of the memory, so that, responsive to the digital content of the memory, the decoder circuit selects one of the oscillators for controlling the operation of the transmitter-receiver. 